Dr. Margaret Stanley:

On the flag issue, the Department of Defence is working closely with the Department of foreign affairs and other Departments on this. Certainly it is an issue that is of wider concern in Europe also. Part of the way to deal with the shadow fleet is not only monitoring the vessels themselves but also looking more closely at the sanctions regime and using international efforts to speak to the countries that are the repositories of the flag registers. It is not only about a whole-of-government approach but a whole-of-Europe approach to try to deal with this issue.

On the issue of drones and autonomous vehicles, this new technology is a multiplier, certainly compared to traditional ships and aircraft. There will always be a limit on how many ships and aircraft we have, and, considering the enormous nature of the waters around us, we need to figure out various ways we can multiply our understanding, and have enhanced maritime domain awareness, of what is happening in the sea around us. We also need to look at the potential for space-based observation. There are multiple ways and means. We can increase the sensors in our waters, on the seabed and in the sea itself. There are also the sky above and space. This is something the civil and military team in the Department is looking at from the point of view of capability development out to 2040. It is looking at the opportunities presented by all of this new technology and the various assets that might improve monitoring capacity. This is another very important area of work that will, hopefully, improve our overall maritime security.